1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus of a photosensitive microcapsule type for irradiating light corresponding to image data onto printing paper of a photosensitive microcapsule type to selectively cure photosensitive microcapsules, and after that, applying pressure to collapse the microcapsules which have not cured, and developing the color of a color developing material which is brought into contact with an image receiving layer to generate an image, and to an image processing system with a printing apparatus of a photosensitive microcapsule type.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional printing paper of a photosensitive microcapsule type is divided into a roll film with microcapsules applied to the surface thereof, which microcapsules encapsulate a color developing material in combination with a photo-curing material, and a sheet paper with an image receiving layer applied to the surface thereof for carrying out development by closely adhering the image receiving layer to the surface of the roll film to which the microcapsules are applied.
In a printing apparatus using the conventional printing paper of a photosensitive microcapsule type, first, while the roll film is being fed, light is irradiated correspondingly to image data to selectively cure the photo-curing material. Next, the surface of the roll film to which the microcapsules are applied and the image receiving layer of the sheet paper are overlapped and are guided between rolling rolls, and pressure is applied to collapse microcapsules which have not cured. Further, heat is applied to facilitate the color development of the color developing material which comes into contact with the image receiving layer to generate an image on the sheet paper. Finally, the roll film is separated from the sheet paper and is wound.
Accordingly, in the conventional printing apparatus, a cassette for containing a stack of sheet papers with the image receiving layer applied thereto is adopted to be inserted in a chassis. The conventional printing apparatus comprises a roll film supporting device for attaching thereto a roll film with microcapsules applied thereto, a winding device for winding the roll film thereon, a feed roll for feeding the roll film, a pickup roll for feeding a sheet paper from the cassette, exposure means for irradiating onto printing paper fed from the cassette while flashing light of a predetermined wavelength correspondingly to image data inputted from the external to make uncollapsible the microcapsules which get the light, pressurizing means for guiding between a pair of rolling rolls and applying pressure to the roll film and the sheet paper which are overlapped and selectively collapsing microcapsules which did not get the light and have not cured to get in contact with the image receiving layer to cause color developing reaction of the color developing material, heating means for applying heat to the color developing material capable of the color developing reaction by getting in contact with the image receiving layer to facilitate the color development to generate an image on the printing paper, a motor, power transmitting means for transmitting the rotation of the motor to movable elements including the pickup roll and the feed roll, and a controller for controlling the apparatus.
In order to know whether the printing paper contained in the cassette is monochrome or full color, or whether the printing paper is highly sensitive or not, and the like, paper with a bar code printed thereon on top of the top printing paper is fed to read and decode the bar code thereby specifying the kind of the printing paper and, according to the kind of the printing paper, the intensity or irradiation time of the light of the predetermined wavelength is changed.
The conventional printing apparatus has the following problems.
(1) Since the printing paper is divided into the roll film and the sheet paper, the film and the sheet paper are required to be separately supplied and wound, and thus, the size of the apparatus is large (desktop size).
(2) In case the cassette is exchanged before all the printing paper is used up and then, the original cassette is again replaced, since the paper with the bar code printed thereon necessary for knowing whether the printing paper is highly sensitive or not can not be fed again, the kind of the printing paper can not be specified. Therefore, it is not possible to exchange the cassette before all the printing paper is used up and then replace again the original cassette, and it is necessary that all the printing paper is used up. For that reason, it was not possible to select such an option that sepia color is first printed and then full color printing is carried out.